Case Study - University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne

Description:

The University of Melbourne was established in 1853. It has one primary campus north of the Melbourne CBD and many other associated rural campuses throughout country Victoria.

University policy is to recruit staff of the highest calibre through fair and open processes.

The University of Melbourne is a public-spirited institution that makes distinctive contributions to society in research, teaching and knowledge transfer.

Caroline Courtney has been working with the University since 2003 and was the HR consultant and Project Manager for the implementation of their e-recruitment system.

The University hires in excess of 800 positions per year and receives approximately 19,500 applications for these jobs.

Recruitment challenge:

Caroline identified five recruitment challenges that needed to be overcome:

These included:

1. Competition with other universities and the private sector to attract quality staff
2. An urgent need to improve the application experience for candidates - the careers' website was quite static and did not provide candidates with information about the University and why it is an employer of choice
3. A need to improve internal efficiencies - recruitment turnaround times were too slow; it took almost a week to post a job ad on the website and job boards and at least three weeks before a manager would see applications, due to manual processing of job applications (printing hard copy applications, compiling by hand and distributing to the various departments) - managers needed information quickly and easily
4. A more efficient and streamlined approach to communicate with managers internally
5. A need to improve the existing technology to process applications - the system being used was outdated and inefficient

The solution:

The University went to tender in 2005 to seek a HR supplier who could solve its recruitment challenges

"We chose PageUp People because they could provide a range of modules that ensured automation of the entire recruitment process, from placing job ads to processing applications online," says Caroline Courtney.

"We also have strict requirements in relation to privacy and security with a devolved recruitment process. PageUp People has worked with us to ensure these requirements are met."

The University also chose PageUp People because:

1. The technology caters to the internal approval processes
2. Flexibility in how the technology could be used
3. Managers can access and shortlist their candidates online in a secure environment without the intervention of human resources

Results:

Since PageUp People has been implemented, the University's recruitment process has reduced from 25 steps to 15 steps. In addition the turnaround time from advertising for jobs to accessing applications has reduced from three weeks to one week. Internally, the entire process has become far less labour intensive; it has reduced the paper trail and has empowered managers to take responsibility for their recruitment. Externally, the applicant process presents a more modern organisation with a focused and value-added careers website.